If you have silver jewelry, cutlery, or platters you may benefit from knowing how to clean silver. Silver is a beautiful part of a decorative life; it shines and beckons with a traditional comfort from ages past. Polishing, storing, and knowing how to clean silver can help prevent silver from becoming tarnished. Remember that these tips are for real silver only, not hollowed silver or silver pieces that have been glued together.

How to Clean Silver CutleryFollow these guidelines to remove tarnish from silver cutlery:

-Gently wash the silver with non-abrasive soap and warm water. -First, select a large, wide bowl that can hold the entire collection of silver cutlery. In general, any plastic or ceramic bowl will work well. -Boil enough water to fully cover the silver cutlery. -Place aluminum foil with the shiny side up at the bottom of the bowl. -Set the silver cutlery on the aluminum foil strips, making sure that the silver is touching the aluminum. Do not stack the silver cutlery, as it must be touching the aluminum for this method to work. -Add the boiling water over the silver cutlery, then sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of baking soda. You can replace the baking soda with salt if the silver is extremely tarnished, but be aware that using salt will remove all tarnish. This includes antique tarnish that is supposed to look like tarnished silver.-Let the cutlery soak for 10-15 minutes. It is not necessary to scrub the silver cutlery.

-Pour the water and baking soda mixture out, taking care not to burn your hand if the water is still hot. -Rinse the silver cutlery well and dry it with a soft, non abrasive cloth.

Another common way to clean tarnished silver is with toothpaste or baking soda. Please be aware that this method will scrape silver, so only use this on common silver items that are not highly important. Use plain toothpaste, not a gel, that does not contain whitening ingredients. Basically, old fashioned toothpaste such as Crest Original will work well. You can make a baking soda paste with 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water (left over baking soda paste can be stored in a plastic baggie).

Using a soft lint free cotton cloth containing a dab of toothpaste or baking soda paste,,polish the silver in a back and forth motion. Add more toothpaste or baking soda paste as the cloth darkens with the tarnish. Rinse items in lukewarm water and dry immediately with a towel.

How to Clean Silver with Polish ClothsSometimes silver pieces are not heavily tarnished and just need a thorough cleaning to look new and shiny again. These steps will help shine the silver when it has become dull or only slightly tarnished. The following instructions will make several silver polish cloths that can be used for quick silver polishing. For this method, you will want to use a pair of strong rubber gloves.

-Make a solution of 2 cups ammonia, 1 cup silver polish, and 10 cups of cold water. Any non-abrasive silver polish will work well for this.-Cut several squares of lint-free cloth. You can use an old cotton t-shirt, for example. Saturate the cloth in the solution described above. -Using rubber gloves, pull the soaked cloths out of the mixture. Let the cloth pieces air dry. Do not dry in the dryer or with a hair dryer, because doing so can cause a fire.-Store the soaked cloths in an air tight container such as a coffee can or Tupperware container. Pull out a cloth for quick silver polishes.-When using the polish cloths, always remove tarnish in a straight line. Do not scrub, rub hard, or move in a circular motion as this will scratch the silver.

How to Clean Silver on a Regular BasisIf you wash your silver jewelry regularly using the following method, you will not have to deal with tarnish.

Always clean silver using a mild, phosphate-free soap. Check the ingredient label of the soap to make sure that it does not contain phosphates. Avoid using harsh cleaners such as bleach or dishwashing soap on silver. This will also help keep your hands safe, as you do not want to use rubber gloves while washing silver. Rubber gloves will corrode and scratch the silver surfaces. Do not use the dishwasher to clean silver. While not directly harmful to silver, dishwashers contain traces of other metal flakes (such as stainless steel) and food particles that can harm silver. Plus, silver needs a gently polishing with a soft cloth to remain tarnish free.

Use a soft cotton cloth to wash silver. Do not use hard sponges, S.O.S pads, or even sponges that are safe for Teflon pans. These will leave small scratches on the silver that may not be noticeable, but will eventually cause the silver to flake.

Washsilver separately from other dishes, especially metallic utensils. Wash the silver in a plastic bowl if you have a metal sink. Metal flakes and stainless steel utensils will scratch the surface of your silver items. You also want to ensure that each piece of silver has been totally dried with a soft, lint free cloth before you store it.

Clean silver used for eating right away. Rinse silver cutlery in hot water as soon as possible. Do not let cutlery sit, especially if it contains highly acidic food particles, such as tomatoes. Any food with eggs, salt, and vinegar (such as mayonnaise) can also harm silver. It is a good idea when serving appetizers to use a sheet of wax paper over the silver platter.

Store your silver properly. You can place a piece of regular white blackboard chalk in the silver cutlery drawer to prevent moisture from tarnishing silver. Alternatively, silica gel can be used to keep out moisture. Wrap small pieces of silver, such as cutlery and jewelry, that is not used often in acid free paper or purchase anti tarnish paper. If you do not have these items, strips of flannel cloth work well also.

Place items in an air tight container or zip-lock bag and store them in a cool, dry place. Do not store near a heating source as this will cause condensation on the inside of the bags or containers and will tarnish silver. Also, do not store silver with rubber items, other metal items such as stainless steel, paint or other chemicals.

If you decide to use a silver dip, silver chemical cleaner or silver polish, remember that these are strong chemicals. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using commercial products to clean silver.

Properly cleaning tarnished silver is not difficult and most chemical dips or home remedies do not require scrubbing to clean tarnished silver. How to clean silver depends on how often you use the silver and the amount of tarnish on the silver. Remember never to scrub or dry silver with an abrasive cloth. Always read manufacturer’s instructions when using silver cleaning chemical products and make sure that silver items are stored in a clean, dry place. These tips on how to clean silver will keep your silver pieces looking shiny and beautiful for a long time to come.

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